THE fate of former Republican president Federick Chiluba
over corruption charges he is facing will be known this Friday when judgment
comes up in the Lusaka Magistrates Court.

The judgment to be delivered
by Ndola High Court Registrar Johns Chinyama, sitting as a magistrate, was last
month deferred to this Friday in light of the consent judgment passed to allow
Chiluba file his submissions out of the court's time.

Chiluba's
corruption case closed in March this year and judgment was set for July
20.

In an interview recently, Chiluba's spokesperson Emmanuel Mwamba said
the parties in the matter sat in chambers after Chinyama called for a meeting in
light of the consent judgment passed to allow Chiluba file his submissions out
of court's time.

Mwamba said state prosecutor Mutembo Nchito then
informed the parties that he would not respond to Chiluba's submissions because
the reply to the submission for defunct Access Financial Services Limited (AFSL)
former directors, Aaron Chungu and Faustin Kabwe, were adequate.

In this
matter, Chiluba is separately charged with Kabwe and Aaron Chungu for theft by
public servant, involving about US $500,000 public funds.

The
Post from covering the theft case following an application by
Chiluba's lawyer Robert Simeza, who expressed concern about an article in that
day's newspaper headlined 'Chiluba refuses to
swear to tell truth'.

Magistrate Chinyama said the article was
misleading and highly prejudicial.